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Unvaccinated kids told to stay home amid chickenpox outbreak

AGOURA HILLS, Calif. (AP) — Ninety unvaccinated students at a Los Angeles County elementary school have been told to stay home as officials deal with an outbreak of chickenpox.

KABC-TV reported Monday that the students at Mariposa Elementary in Agoura Hills were told to stay away for three weeks to prevent the spread of the disease.

The news station says 90 of the school’s 400 students — about 25 percent — are not vaccinated.

Dan Stepenosky, superintendent of Las Virgenes Unified School District, says after three cases of chickenpox were reported across three grades, the health department said officials should start excluding students who are unvaccinated.

A new state law requires mandatory vaccines for school children. But some parents believe forcing students to be vaccinated is a violation of their civil rights.

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